Serj Tankian has premiered the video for "Rumi," a track off his new solo EP, Elasticity.
The video finds the System of a Down frontman sitting at a piano, cut with footage of a group of young adults walking on a beach while surrounded by figures offering them money, religion and political success. The song itself is a tribute to Tankian's son, Rumi, who's named after the 13th century Sufi poet.
"Lyrical specificity in music is generally discouraged because less people internalize them as they have less of a personal connection," Tankian says. "But there are cases where it is vital if the inspiration and muse is specific. In this case, a father talking to his son and reverence to the poet that inspired the son's name could not be re-written so one can generalize."
You can watch the "Rumi" video streaming now on YouTube.
Tankian released Elasticity in March. It includes songs he originally envisioned for System of a Down.